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Is your third-generation iPad, which you've owned for seven months or fewer (because that's how long it's been on the market), now "obsolete?" The answer, it turns out, is yes, thanks to Apple's spec bump on Tuesday, which brought about the fourth generation of the device. With a new A6X processor, expanded LTE capabilities, and a new Lightning connector, the fourth-gen iPad is in and the third-gen is unequivocally out. Even the iPad 2 is still for sale through Apple as a discounted model, but not the version of the iPad that was just introduced earlier this year.

Does it upset you? For some, the answer to that question is "yes." When we buy new things, we like to think we're getting some life out of owning the latest and greatest—especially if it's a $500+ device. For some, it's about bragging rights, but for others, it's purely based on principle. People who like to buy Apple devices tend to view it as a deal with the devil—you get to enjoy the newest iPad for a while and Apple gets a considerable chunk of your money. Devices should come out on a predictable schedule within a reasonable timeline so that we're always either owning the current thing, or planning for it on the calendar.

Or should they? There are plenty of customers who don't mind buying a device whose moment in the spotlight is short-lived. Those of us who purchased third-generation iPads did so (presumably) because we liked the specs at the time and felt like it would be a worthwhile purchase. Was it only worthwhile seven (or fewer) months ago but not today? If it continues to work well for your needs, then what's the fuss?

Sure, some users might have bought their third-gen iPads just the other day, so their frustration may be justified. (And many of those people are able to exchange their purchases for fourth-gen versions.) But for the average, everyday iPad user, it may be hard to articulate exactly why such a tight update schedule feels so aggravating.

Which is why we turn to you, Ars readers. Are you frustrated with Apple's decision to release an entirely new generation of iPads so soon after the last? Or do you take a more zen approach, seeing new iPad introductions as irrelevant to your past purchasing decisions that you're still perfectly happy with? And most importantly: why do you feel this way? Tell us in the comments how you view this latest update to the full-sized iPad line (iPad mini notwithstanding) and we'll round up the best reader comments in a follow-up post about how our community frames Apple's decision to upgrade the iPad now, instead of later.

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Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui

I dont have an Ipad but I will throw this in.. I have other apple products and my biggest issue is that iTunes store sometimes doesnt respect older devices. What irks me is when an "app" is updated and iTunes wants me to install that updated app, only to find out that it is not supported on my older device!...

Since I am not an apple FanBoi then I expect a promptish influx of downvotes....

For a few moments I was kinda tempted of selling my 3rd gen iPad for around 300 and re-invest the money in a 4th gen one, but then I see there's really no big big difference between the 2 models that could have any impact in my day to day routine. I'm still a happy 3rd gen iPad owner.

Maybe Apple is starting to mess up with my head? never before did I have that impulse

Who cares?! I think it's a good move by Apple given that Microsoft's new Surface beats the iPad 3rd gen in some benchmarks whereas the new A6X 4th Gen iPad blows it out of the water. That fact that Apple stays ahead of the performance curve is a good thing.

I think a lot of people got so caught up on a release pattern that they have this assumption that the yearly release date was promised by Apple themselves. Which never actually happened.

Either way from a business standpoint the move makes sense for Apple. The Mini is an obvious competitor to the Fire and the Fire was updated not too long ago. So keeping the Mini release date close to that of the Fire makes sense.

I dont have an Ipad but I will throw this in.. I have other apple products and my biggest issue is that iTunes store sometimes doesnt respect older devices. What irks me is when an "app" is updated and iTunes wants me to install that updated app, only to find out that it is not supported on my older device!...

Since I am not an apple FanBoi then I expect a promptish influx of downvotes....

I wouldn't expect downvotes, except for that it always sounds a bit trollish to say that.

I think it's understandable. iTunes & the App store should notify you about device incompatibilities for updates. So should the developer. But if you've been burned once, you should be on the look out for such updates in the future. How old of a device are you using?

This topic is stupid and something I really didn't expect from Ars.When buying technology something that's not included in the purchase is exclusive rights to hinder everyone else to buy something that's better, or for companies to build something better. Even if they release it one day after you buy it, there's no right to demand having the latest and greatest.

I have been an owner of an iPad 3 from very near the release date. I was more than a little miffed about the new release being this early on. I liked the knowledge that I had an up to date device. Losing that status in only 7 months was irritating.

And then I did the math behind a new device and its hardware compared to what I had. Irritated does not mean angry. And given how new the iPad 3 still is, good condition iPad 3s will sell reasonably well on eBay if I felt a need to upgrade.

Ultimately if Apple intends on keeping the iPad part of the holiday release and sales, they had to switch it over some time. And doing it when Lightning is being introduced made sense.

Oddly enough, I was waiting for the graphics chip to get an upgrade before getting an iPad retina, so coming a few months ahead of the normal cycle has made me unhappy, because the mini might just be a better machine for what I want it for (not having the laptop everywhere, books, etc).

Doesn't bother me, because I had always aimed to keep my 3rd-gen iPad for at least 2 generations. That had previously equated to 2 years, but if I have to stretch it out to 3 generations (or more), so be it.

The biggest thing I want from a new iPad is something lighter, and cooler running. Given that screen lighting seems to be the biggest contributor to both of these problems, I suspect it'll be a while before I get what I want.

I think the only people that would be irked are those that use the iPad for a lot of FaceTime chats. The bump in resolution is great, and much more enjoyable than using the previous front-facing cams. The iPad 3 runs every game I've tried without a hiccup, so I doubt the performance gains are big enough to notice easily.

Aside from that, it's just a business decision to push a more rapid adoption of Lightning accessories & components.

Well I'm even happier now that I sold mine in July when rumors started about an iPad mini in the works!! At that time I'd planned on replacing my 16Gb model with either the 32Gb or the 64Gb versions. Now I think I'll get a jail broken iPhone 5 64Gb with SBRotator 6 instead.... That'll be close enough to the iPad mini for me & easier to carry around to boot!!!!

I don't see any advantage to the iPad 4 over the iPad 3, which is probably why Apple will not make it the entry level 10" tablet. Yes, the 4 is faster, but I haven't seen anything that is slow with the 3 (at least that I can blame on the iPad).

I dont have an Ipad but I will throw this in.. I have other apple products and my biggest issue is that iTunes store sometimes doesnt respect older devices. What irks me is when an "app" is updated and iTunes wants me to install that updated app, only to find out that it is not supported on my older device!...

Since I am not an apple FanBoi then I expect a promptish influx of downvotes....

Since you are so concerned about up/downvotes, next time you'd probably get more upvotes if you didn't something stupid like the last line along with something more useful like to first part.

If I was going to irked by a newer version of a gadget coming out, I'd never buy a gadget. Apple users might have an odd perspective on this, since their gadgets are released in a very planned and controlled fashion. Look at Android phones -- there's a new latest and greatest every few weeks. I doubt a new tablet after six months is such a big deal in that context.

Sure, I'd *like* a 4th-gen, especially if the speed boost is similar to what the iPhone 5 got. (And ripping off the Band-Aid and banishing the dock connector from my life appeals to my OCD tendencies.) But my third-gen will be fine for quite a while.

I'm NOT an iPad '3' owner. I've always bought Apple products in Star Trek movie mode; even numbered or skipping one for the next.

So, I have purchased iPhone 3GS, 4S and iPad2 most recently. Still have an iPod Classic somewhere.

If I had purchased the 7 month old iPad3, I would be miffed to outright pissed I imagine. I almost gifted the iPad2 and bought one, but somehow that particular model felt "wrong" to me. Seemed rushed to make a point or something.

I may break my pattern and actually buy an iPad Mini v1 to replace my iPad2. I use it more than 2 laptops and a desktop every day. The size appeals to me and I can go to 64GB for about the same price as the 4G iPad 16GB model. That's useful for my needs.

As an Ipad2 owner, I had looked at the third gen iPad but decided that for now it wasn't worth the upgrade. I decided to wait until the next version came out, and now that it is here I'm still not sure I want to upgrade.

Had Apple waited another few months I would have been more likely to consider it, but now I'm wondering if I should wait another year for the "Fifth Gen".

I might be annoyed if I had just bought the iPad last week or last month. But I've had the benefit of using it for 6 months or so and I planned to go a couple of years without upgrading, anyway. Given the faster release cycle, this just means when I am ready to upgrade I can expect something really awesome.

It still works great. "Obsolete" is not the same as "not the newest model."

Since I am not an apple FanBoi then I expect a promptish influx of downvotes....

I'd expect an influx of downvotes for throwing this fanboi nonsense into a discussion with no need of it.

<<Doctor Who>> wrote:

I dont have an Ipad but I will throw this in.. I have other apple products and my biggest issue is that iTunes store sometimes doesnt respect older devices. What irks me is when an "app" is updated and iTunes wants me to install that updated app, only to find out that it is not supported on my older device!...

I've never experienced this, but I tend to only stick with iDevices for two generations. I've found that's the sweet spot for reselling the old model for enough to make the "upgrade" charge reasonable.

I've been using mine happily for months in the knowledge that Apple were going to release a new version eventually. I am not irked by the fact that technology moves ahead but I did not expect them to refresh the iPad this quickly. The upgrade does feel a bit less extensive than iPad 2->3, mainly a CPU/GPU upgrade which having used the iPad 3 for a while is sorely needed. My 3gen feels really pokey and slow doing a lot of things so I welcome that, it does not justify me selling mine and spending hard earned cash to upgrade. I will hold out for a time when my current iPad is at the end of its useful life which I expect to be another couple of years.

yes, I'm irked but not quite for the reasons you mentioned. What really bothers me is that Apple has a very well-known device obsolescence policy: Current and previous generation devices get all the goodies, the generation before that gets less (and typically upgrading the OS on such a device makes it slow as glaciers) and after that, it's "no more of anything for you" time.

In effect, it cut short the expected lifetime of my iPad 3 of at least 6 month.

Not an owner myself, but I really don't get the rage some people are expressing at this.

For many, an iPad is a substantial investment, one which they planned to last them two or three years. At that point, their older iPad would be sold on, and the value go towards getting the then just released model. So how does the iPad 4 affect people?

Well, the iPad 1 has been made obsolete by the lack of iOS 6 support, so this new model is perfectly timed for those who wanted to upgrade this Christmas or early next year. Same goes for iPad 2 owners, and now's the best time to sell and switch up, if you can.

But the iPad 3 was so new that 99% of owners won't be looking to upgrade any time soon, and would want to skip a generation. To them, the 4 should merely indicate that Apple have shifted to an autumnal update schedule rather than in the spring. So instead of 24 or 36 months, it's 18 or 30 months, were they to buy on day 1.

The single biggest change is that this time last year I would have been saying to people that asked to wait until March. This year it's time to buy.

I use the wife's old iPad 2, and she got a 3rd generation iPad. I told her about the new iPad version, and she didn't care. I think that's due to the size, weight, shape, and screen being exactly the same, and she's been happy with the performance. She'll have the high resolution iPad that works with all of our 30-pin cables and adapters. That doesn't sound too bad.

To be honest, I'm more annoyed that the iPad 1 I bought was obsolete only a year and a half after it left the shop shelves (despite having essentially the same hardware as the iPod Touch 4, which is still on sale and still supported).

If iOS 7 roles out next year and drops support for the iPad 3, then I'll be even more pissed, though I really don't see that happening.

For me, it might have depended on timing. If I bought one when it was first announced? Not really. If I had just bought one 2 days ago? Maybe (if I weren't able to return it).

I'm guessing now this means the iPad announcements will be in October instead of January. However, given that it's so close to iPhone announcements, that might make it a difficult decision for some...new iPhone or new iPad? At least with the 6 months in between you had time to save up for each. Though, I wonder if people who might buy an iPad 4 might wait to see if they do a January event, since this was kind of unexpected.

I'm not irked, because I got my iPad 3 when it came out, and it'll last a good while longer yet. (I work in app development, and we're about at the point where we're dropping iPad 1 support.)

However, if someone had asked me a week ago "Should I buy an iPad or wait for an update?" I'd have said buy. People who bought very recently might be irked — even if Apple will swap it, doing the swap is a bunch of hassle.

Does 2013 Toyota Camry irk you if you bought a 2012 model? Does your car suddenly stop functioning? If your answer is "yes" to either of these questions you should probably not buy anything just to be on the safe side. Something powerful is always around the corner.